Back Court or Not

[BBallEvaluator]

A has the ball for throw-in along their endline underneath the basket. A1 throws the ball to A2 who is positioned above the 3 point arc. A2 receives the pass but muffs it and the ball deflects off his arm into the back court. A2 is the first person to retrieve the ball in the back court.

The official calls a back court violation and the coach whose team it was called on argues that possession was never established. The official explains to the coach that the ball legally contacted the Team A in A's frontcourt.

Is the coach correct since this is a throw-in and possession had not been established?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by BBallEvaluator

A has the ball for throw-in along their endline underneath the basket. A1 throws the ball to A2 who is positioned above the 3 point arc. A2 receives the pass but muffs it and the ball deflects off his arm into the back court. A2 is the first person to retrieve the ball in the back court.

The official calls a back court violation and the coach whose team it was called on argues that possession was never established. The official explains to the coach that the ball legally contacted the Team A in A's frontcourt.

Is the coach correct since this is a throw-in and possession had not been established?

The coach is correct. The official was wrong.
The ball merely contacting a Team A player in this case is not enough to establish player and team control. The ball must be caught and held or dribbled.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BBallEvaluator

A has the ball for throw-in along their endline underneath the basket. A1 throws the ball to A2 who is positioned above the 3 point arc. A2 receives the pass but muffs it and the ball deflects off his arm into the back court. A2 is the first person to retrieve the ball in the back court.

The official calls a back court violation and the coach whose team it was called on argues that possession was never established. The official explains to the coach that the ball legally contacted the Team A in A's frontcourt.

Is the coach correct since this is a throw-in and possession had not been established?

See case book play 4.12.6(b)

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

See case book play 4.12.6(b)

Or ask the Mythbusters:

During a throwin, even under a team’s own basket, if the throwin is deflected, tipped, or batted by an offensive player in the frontcourt to an offensive player in the backcourt; or after a missed field goal attempt or a missed foul shot attempt, if the ball is deflected, tipped, or batted by an offensive player in the frontcourt to an offensive player in the backcourt; these are not a backcourt violations. In both cases team control, a player holding or dribbling the ball, has not yet been established.